The Washington Commanders wasted little time turning the 2025 regular season into a rock fight — a fitting battle considering their defensive minded head coach Dan Quinn — and it might be a good idea to bring in reinforcements sooner than later.
After scrapping to a 2-1 record through their first 3 games and now facing injuries on the offensive side of the ball to their 2 best players in quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin, getting some help on defense might actually be the key.
There just so happens to be a surprise, elite defender on the market after the Houston Texans released Super Bowl champion safety and former NFL interceptions leader C.J. Gardner-Johnson on September 23 — a player who could help the Commanders right away if they can stomach some of the outside noise that might come with him.
In a surprise move, the Texans released safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson,” ESPN’s DJ Bien Aime wrote. ” … In three starts, Gardner-Johnson had 15 tackles with no interceptions or pass breakups. The Texans traded their 2022 first-round pick — left guard Kenyon Green — to the Philadelphia Eagles for Gardner-Johnson in March, hoping to add a ball hawk. Gardner-Johnson had six interceptions in 2024 for the Eagles in their march to a Super Bowl title.
CJGJ Has Wild History With Commanders
Gardner-Johnson’s last regular season game against the Commanders might be hard for fans to forget if he were to eventually come play for the franchise.
The last time Gardner-Johnson played against the Commanders was a 2024 Week 16 game at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, when Washington won, 36-33, to snap the Eagles‘ 10-game winning streak.
That day, Gardner-Johnson was ejected in the third quarter after his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. As he was escorted off the field, he took off his gloves and gave Commanders fans a double middle finger salute as he headed into the tunnel.
The NFL fined Gardner-Johnson $45,000 for his actions.
“I think it was a learning lesson,” Gardner-Johnson told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I got to grow the hell up because this team obviously needs me when I’m here. I ain’t saying like in a way as though I’m a superstar. My presence is being out there with the guys and having fun. It hurt me not being out there and see them losing. We could have clinched the week before. But had to step up and look myself in the mirror, understand this is a team game, not a me game.”
(via @JClarkNBCS)
High Risk, High Reward With Gardner-Johnson
On one hand, Gardner-Johnson led the NFL in interception with the Eagles in 2022 and helped lead them to a Super Bowl appearance but was toxic enough that the team let him leave for a 1-year, $6.5 million contract with the Detroit Lions in free agency … only to sign him back on a 3-year, $27 million contract before the 2024 season.
One more year with Gardner-Johnson was enough — despite winning a Super Bowl — to convince the Eagles the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze and trade him to the Texans.
The problem with Gardner-Johnson has been his, ahem, volatile nature. In his first 7 seasons with 4 different teams he’s been fined 13 times for a variety of offenses from taunting (5 times), to fighting (2 times), to unsportsmanlike conduct (2 times) and late hits/hits to the head (3 times).
Commanders Urged to Sign Controversial Super Bowl Champion